Best Fishing Line for Kokanee Trolling: Mono VS Braid

This article looks at the pros and cons of monofilament and braided fishing line, as well as the characteristics of kokanee salmon to help you determine what the best line for kokanee trolling will be for you and your situation- and there isn’t a “one size fits all” solution.

About Kokanee Salmon

Kokanee salmon are landlocked sockeye salmon. They are native to the Pacific Northwest region of North America, and were once widely distributed throughout the Columbia River system. The name kokanee comes from the Chinook jargon word kokahnu, meaning red fish. Although they are often referred to as sockeye, they are not related to true sockeye or other varieties of salmon. They are actually anadromous parr (juvenile salmon) that spend their entire lives in freshwater before returning to their natal spawning grounds as adults, generally in rivers and streams.

Kokanee Physical Characteristics to Consider

Kokanee have very soft jaws, which means that they cannot bite or hold onto hooks well. This can make them difficult to catch, but also means that you have to be conscious and make deliberate gear choices so you can set the hook and land the kokanee without ripping through their jaw.

Additionally, kokanee primarily eat plankton, small plants, and other microscopic bugs, which is probably why they don’t have a firmer jaw. But because they don’t eat anything larger, you can’t imitate their food sources in your setup. Instead, anglers present a rig that irritates the kokanee in an effort to get the fish to strike out of aggression. This can mean that the salmon can often do a lighter strike, as they’re not trying to ingest or swallow anything, though once hooked they can be ferocious and fun fighters.

Choosing the Best Line for Kokanee Trolling

There are a few things to consider when selecting the best kokanee line for your setup. Really, you need to look at your entire fishing rod setup. To accommodate for the sensitive jaw of the kokanee, the best rod to have is an ultralight fishing pole, about 7 feet long is best. If you’re using this type of rod, by our research and testing, and according to a few kokanee guides we asked, it really doesn’t matter if you’re running braided line for kokanee, or if you’re using monofilament. Either will work. If you’re using a shorter rod with less action though, you’ll want monofilament or a rubber snubber, which is a rubber attachment that goes on the end of the line, right before the dodger or lure so there is a good amount of flex when there is a strike.

Scotty 373 Diver Snubber – UV Resistant – 2 Pack

Kokanee Fishing Line Weight

The test weight of the fishing line you use depends on whether its mono vs braid. The braid you’d want to use would be heavier than mono. I like to use 10-12lb monofilament fishing line. If I’m running braid, I use 20 to 30lb test.

Benefits of Braid Line

If you want to be able to troll for something bigger than kokanee on the same rod, you’ll probably want to go with braid. Many fishermen, especially in the northwest, troll for multiple species of salmon, and its nice to have one line on your trolling rods that can work. Using a 20 or 30lb test braided line will work for kokanee and most other types of salmon as well.

For kokanee the biggest benefit is the lack of stretch in the line. This can also be a negative, but the lack of stretch means that you can see perfectly any action or light strike on that line. If you’ve got light striking fish, braided line can help you not miss the bite.

Downside of Braided Line

Because most trolling for kokanee is done in deep water, away from abrasive things like rocks, trees, or vegetation, braid isn’t at much risk of fraying or ware in that way. Kokanee generally don’t have big teeth that can be abrasive to the line, but other fish species can, and the teeth on kokanee become a bit more pronounced and abrasive as kokanee prepare to spawn. This abrasion from teeth can be mitigated by just using a monofilament leader for your lures and dodgers.

The lack of stretch in braid can also be a downside, as has already been discussed. If the hook is set too hard, the hook can rip out of or through the mouth of the kokanee salmon. A longer ultralight pole mitigates this, as does the use of a snubber.

Our Favorite Braided Line

People are using braided line in a very wide range. Having gone through a few forums, people have reported using braided line that ranges from 12-60lb. The most common is 20-30lb braid though, and our favorite is 20lb braid. In our opinion, the best braided fishing line for kokanee trolling, or at least our go to, is the KastKing 20 lb. The second choice is the SpiderWire brand.

Benefits of Monofilament Line

Monofilament is more resistant to abrasion than braid. That doesn’t mean that its impervious, but it does do better than braid in that department. Additionally, monofilament line is more versatile, so if you want to use it for more than trolling, having your pole lined with monofilament will give you that versatility.

The biggest benefit of monofilament though is that it has natural stretch. Honestly, most people that run mono either like that natural stretch, or all they’re used to is mono and they haven’t had a reason to switch. This second group gets the benefit of the natural stretch which is more forgiving, and people never see a reason to change, because they’re familiar with the downsides of mono, and those don’t deter them at all.

Downside of Monofilament Line

Monofilament degrades faster than braid. If you have monofilament out in the sun, the line will weaken much faster than braid and it can snap just at the wrong moment. If you have your poles out regularly, you’ll want to change out monofilament line every 1-3 years. A few months of hard kokanee fishing can turn the best monofilament line for kokanee trolling into something that’s well used. Additionally, there have been times when I’m out on the water with monofilament and had a lot of line out, that I’ve had fish on and not noticed. This isn’t the norm, but I’ve had it happen. It hasn’t eliminated mono from my box of tricks, but its something to be aware of.

Our Favorite Monofilament Fishing Line

Our favorite monofilament is the Trilene Big Game. It’s what I’ve currently got on most of my reels right now. I go for the 10 lb test for my kokanee rods. I’ve also used Stern mono before, and that also works well, but the Trilene cost just a little bit less, and I haven’t noticed any difference. I’ve included links to both the Trilene I’m using, and the Stern that I’ve used before if you want to check them out.

You Might Also Be Interested In:

If this was at all helpful, you may also be interested in some of our other gear reviews which you can check out in the articles below, or you can check out a collection of gear and tackle from our tackle shop below.

Best Rod for Kokanee Fishing

Best Kokanee Line Counter Reels